A recent Editorial Page column (T.N.M., May 20/91) by M.R. Brown correctly identifies problems facing the mining industry, many of which have been initiated by various federal and provincial governments.
The demise of Ontario mining curiously accelerated after the Mulroneys, Clarks, Turners and Broadbents decreed on behalf of Canadians that the correct moral posture for Canada to take would be anti-South African sanctions against certain readily available metals such as iron, coal, uranium, processed steel and gold coins.
On the other hand, it would be morally okay for Canada to continue to purchase the not-so-readily available South African chromium, platinum group metals, manganese and industrial diamonds.
The South African iron ore, coal, uranium and steel industries, in order to maintain (and increase) market share, in response to the unfree trade practices by Canada and others, increased efficiencies further in the already highly mechanized mining industry, and slashed prices as required.
Since sanctions were introduced, South Africa has become the largest exporter of coal, surpassing both the U.S. and Australia. The economically mis- calculated racist lunacy (unemploying black miners) of anti-South African sanctions, initiated by our politicians, has virtually blown the Ontario mining industry right out of the water.
From a mining-industry perspective, one would have to ask Mr. Brown whether he would agree that many of our federal and provincial politicians deserve to be in solitary confinement? R.H. Posma Oshawa, Ont.
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